Completing the Concept

Next we're going to develop the character and all the other details, like the weapons and the armor, but this time with colour. Actually this process ends when the picture is completed, because there's always something to be corrected or added to the initial idea. The deadlines are quite often very tight in this field. At this stage we set the direction for the further development of the character (Fig.04).

Fig.04

Overpainting and Rendering

After taking the character to a fairly advanced level, we must do our best to think about how we might finish the piece. As we have the luxury of time, we can develop it even more by finishing the main idea and adding the details on the materials. It is now that we have real creative freedom.

The details are an important element of completing the character (Fig.05). They are what makes it unique and original. The more original the concept, the better and more successful the end product is. This is what every artist aims for, in order to keep at a consistent level that shows quality, and that ensures the success of the studio and gets the artist larger and more interesting projects.

Fig.05

Lighting Effects

When painting futuristic armor it is absolutely necessary to add something that shows how the armor fortifies the character's strength. There must be something that translates the force and abilities it gives in a visual language. As the action takes place in the future, it must show a futuristic level of technology as well. This can be shown by including glowing elements to the armor. The typical elements of the armor are now set in place. On a new layer we define the areas where we want to make the glowing effect stronger (Fig.06). I've marked these areas in red in order to make it clear how to reach this effect in your own work. We use Gaussian blur to disperse the light and get the desired glow effect, and finish off by setting the layer on a new blending option (Linear Dodge).